The Diamond Drive is an overdrive pedal from Diamond Pedals, the Canadian builder based in Montreal, Quebec. It distills the drive and EQ elements of the company's earlier J-Drive, Blaze and Fireburst pedals into one box, pairing a Burr-Brown op-amp drive section with an active Baxandall tone stack1. Diamond Pedals describes the drive section as delivering "anything from a gritty clean boost to thick, natural asymmetric saturation"1. It sells for $199.001.
The Diamond Drive is an overdrive pedal circuit board, sold as a DIY build rather than a finished pedal2. Its drive section is built around a Premium Sound Burr-Brown op-amp, which the maker says delivers anything from a gritty clean boost to thick, natural asymmetric saturation1. The build centers on J113 transistors, chosen, the documentation says, to achieve a bell-like tone2.
What the Diamond Drive is and where it came from
Diamond Pedals says the Diamond Drive draws on its past Drive, J-Drive and Fireburst designs, combining the classic overdrive platform with the active Baxandall EQ the brand is known for1. Delicious Audio, covering the pedal's introduction, described it the same way: it "captures the most coveted aspects of the company's old J-Drive, Blaze, and Fireburst pedals"3.
For players who knew the older Diamond pedals, that lineage is the story. The J-Drive, Blaze and Fireburst were the brand's drive pedals before the company went quiet, and the Diamond Drive brings their drive and EQ soundblocks back in a current production pedal13. The revival of the brand itself was news in the guitar press in 2023, when the new range was announced4.
The Baxandall EQ is the feature that separates the Diamond Drive from most overdrives. Instead of a single tone knob, it uses an active EQ stage, the same approach Diamond Pedals used on its earlier pedals, giving cut and boost around set frequencies rather than a simple treble roll-off13.
Controls and tone shaping
The maker's published specification for the EQ covers the bass band:
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Baxandall EQ Bass | 150 Hz, +/- 6 dB cut or boost1 |
The Burr-Brown op-amp in the drive section is what Diamond Pedals calls its "Premium Sound" component, and the maker credits it with the range from clean boost through asymmetric saturation1. Asymmetric clipping, where the waveform's two halves are clipped differently, is a characteristic often associated with tube-style breakup.
Power, switching and connections
The Diamond Drive runs on a wide voltage range, which is worth noting for players with higher-voltage supplies13:
- Voltage: 9 to 18 VDC1
- Polarity: Negative tip1
- Connector: 2.1 mm barrel jack1
- Current draw: 17 mA at 9 VDC1
- Switching: Relay true bypass1
- Jacks: Top-mounted1
Diamond Pedals states that use of an improper power supply will void the warranty, so the negative-tip polarity and 9 to 18 VDC range should be matched to your supply1.
The 17 mA draw is low enough that the pedal is easy to accommodate on most isolated power supplies, and the 9 to 18 VDC range means it can run at higher voltages where a supply offers them1. Relay true bypass switching uses an electronic relay rather than a mechanical switch contact to take the pedal out of the signal path13.
The Diamond Drive DIY circuit
Separately from the Diamond Pedals product, there is a DIY circuit board called the Diamond Drive sold by GuitarPCB, documented in a build manual by Bruce R. and Barry2. This is a distinct project, not the factory-built pedal, but it shares the name and the overdrive territory.
The GuitarPCB manual describes the circuit's character as "razor sharp articulate tones that evolve into creamy, crunchy cutting overdrive as you crank the gain"2. Its build notes include several player-facing choices:
| Part | Role in the build |
|---|---|
| Q1 to Q5 | J113 transistors, chosen for what the manual calls a bell-like tone2 |
| DRIVE | A100K potentiometer, drive control2 |
| TREB | B1M potentiometer, treble control2 |
| TR1 | 10k trimmer for biasing the drain voltage, set to about half the supply voltage2 |
| D1 | Common anode bi-color LED, red in bypass, green in effects mode2 |
| D2 | 1n4001 diode2 |
| R20 | LED current limiting resistor, 1k8 for a bright LED, up to 4k7 for a dimmer one2 |
The manual also offers a tonal option for builders chasing a specific sound: "If you build this circuit wanting to achieve the most Distortion like Brian May you may use an A500K LOG Drive pot"2. On the amp side, it suggests the circuit can reach classic British tones, saying "Even from a Marshall amp you can emulate the famous tones from those other British valve masters"2.
The J113 transistors are the heart of the build. The manual is direct about their importance2:
"The most important part of your build is the J113 transistor we have chosen to achieve that bell like tone."2
GuitarPCB's circuit includes a 1N4001 diode at position D22.
Warranty and where it is made
Diamond Pedals builds all of its pedals in its own shop in Montreal, Quebec, and the Diamond Drive carries a Made In Canada designation13. The warranty runs three years against failure from defective parts or faulty workmanship, for the original owner only, and it is not transferable1.
The warranty does not cover:
- Cosmetic flaws and wear and tear1
- Tampering, modification, abuse or misuse1
- Unauthorized repair1
- Use of an improper power supply1
How it fits with other Diamond pedals
The Diamond Drive sits alongside other pedals in the revived Diamond range, including the Diamond Pedals Drive and the Diamond Pedals Cornerstone Overdrive. Where a basic overdrive gives you one tone control, the Diamond Drive's Baxandall EQ is its distinguishing feature, inherited from the J-Drive, Blaze and Fireburst lineage13. Players comparing it against other overdrives in the same price bracket will find the active EQ and the Burr-Brown drive section are what set it apart on paper1.
Questions
Is the Diamond Drive true bypass?
Yes. Diamond Pedals specifies relay-based true bypass switching for the Diamond Drive, so the signal passes straight through when the pedal is off. The relay handles the switching rather than a standard mechanical 3PDT footswitch arrangement.
Where are Diamond Pedals made?
Diamond Pedals designs and builds all of its pedals in its own shop in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Diamond Drive carries a Made In Canada designation on the maker's product page.
What warranty does the Diamond Drive have?
A three-year warranty against failure from defective parts or faulty workmanship, for the original owner only and not transferable. It does not cover cosmetic flaws, wear and tear, tampering, modification, abuse, misuse, unauthorized repair, or use of an improper power supply.
Who owns Diamond Pedals now?
Diamond Pedals was officially revived in 2023 with a new range of pedals. The revival was led by Greg Djerrahian of SolidGoldFX, who brought the brand back and began producing updated versions of its classic circuits.
Sources (4)
- Diamond Drive, Diamond Pedals
- BD_Diamond-Drive.pdf, GuitarPCB.com, 2023
- Diamond Pedals Drive, Delicious Audio, 2023-05-29
- Diamond Pedals officially launches revived line up of effects, Guitar.com, 2023-05-16
